Why Nutrition Is Important For Our Health

Why Is Nutrition So Important?

Raw materials are important for your body and for your muscle growth and it is suggested to learn about proper nutrition.

Believe it or not, proper nutrition is the most important factor for muscle growth to occur. Without proper nutrition, supplementation and hydration you will make little or no gains and find yourself very frustrated and most likely quit because you won’t be seeing any gains.

Protein

Proteins, composed of various amino acids are the actual building blocks of muscle tissue. Protein builds, repairs and maintains muscles in your body. There are 20 amino acids, and the human body naturally produces 12 of them, but the others, called “essential amino acids” can only be obtained through food. Over excessive protein intake has a harmful effect on both the kidney’s and liver and makes the human body burn valuable protein for energy. Keep protein consumption to the ideal amount depending on your body weight because there is no need to over-do it.

Whey Protein – Derived from milk, this protein is by far the best source available. This protein is absorbed the fastest and most efficiently. Found in powder form and mixed with milk or water, it can be found in supplement/health food stores.

Egg Protein– Before whey was marketed, the old fashioned egg was the leading source of protein. You can also buy egg protein in powder form. The yolks can be harmful if you have some diagnosed decease that request blood control for you if too many are eaten, therefore it is recommended carefully consuming too much eggs.

Milk Protein– This protein is a very convenient source as well, and can be added to whey shakes to get some slow developing protein also. Casein supplements are also made in powder form.

Meat Protein – Beef, tuna and chicken all have excellent sources of protein. Also, meats contain creatine, a naturally made compound that produces energy for muscles through the bloodstream, than is converted into phosphocreatine which supplies muscles with ATP (in other words, energy to help your workout, we will discuss this in more detail later).

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body’s most readily available source of energy, fuel the muscle building and other life process while sparing the protein you consume to be used for muscle growth. But beware, any unused carbohydrates can be easily stored as body fat, so the time of consumption will determine if they will be stored as fat or not. The trick is to consume just enough carbs to keep your body out of a ketonic state (using protein for energy). Ketosis is not a desired state to be in, because it will eventually lead to your body using muscle tissue for energy, which is obviously not good. A good rule is for every gram of protein you consume, consume 2 gr.of a carbohydrate.

Types of Carbs

There are two different sources of carbohydrates we are concerned about:

Simple – These are the fastest acting sources, and provide the body with quick energy. Some common sources are fruits, fruit juices and sugar.

Complex – These are slow acting sources and provide you with long term energy. Some common sources are pastas, breads, rice and oatmeal.

Fats

Contrary to popular belief, fats are essential for building muscle mass and help your body function properly. Fats are also the body’s source of stored energy, protect inner organs, and act as an insulator for the human body to keep warm.

Types Of Fats

Saturated – Stay away from these fats as much as possible, they are usually found in beef. Keep saturated fat intake to a minimum.

Unsaturated – These fats are stored for energy and actually help muscle building. Almost every food contains some unsaturated fat.

Calories

A calorie, by definition is a unit of energy-producing potential equal to the amount of heat that is contained in food and released upon oxidation by the body. To put it in simple terms, calories provide energy for life processes. Both protein and carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram, and fat contains 9. As you can see, fat is the most calorie dense of the concerned nutrients. To find out how many calories is enough for you to gain muscle, take your body weight and multiply it by 24, but make sure you have a correct balance of macro-nutrients do you don’t gain too much excess fat.

Meal Frequency

To keep your body in muscle building state, it is recomended to eat every 2-3 hours. This can be pretty hard, but if you are dedicated to the cause of building your body ,you should find spare time for preparing your meal even if it means to make it prior as- TO GO.

Eating Before And After Workout

Post-workout is the most important meal of the day especially for body builders. After a workout, your body’s energy stores have been used up, and your body needs protein immidiately. You need both fast acting energy and fast acting protein. The answer for that are simple carbs and whey protein.

In order to fuel the muscle building process effectively, it is recommended to keep a protein/carb ratio of 1/3.

Before workout, the meal that will determine if you are full of energy during your workout, or lazy and tired. For this meal, it is recommended to consume both simple and complex carbs, and again keeping a protein/carb ratio of 1/3. In order to avoid feeling sick, eat this meal an hour from working out.

These are the basics of proper nutrition that you should know if you have decided to turn to healthy nutrient muscle building food.